Senior Manager – Strategy and Product Development

Dubai Holding Asset Management; Dubai; On-site; AED 450,000 - 800,000; Full time

Job summary

Dubai Holding Asset Management is seeking a senior finance strategist to lead financial feasibility, modelling and investment analysis across residential, office, retail and hospitality sectors in Dubai. You will drive strategic initiatives, prepare investment memorandums, and support budgeting, forecasting and asset optimization efforts.

The role requires at least 8 years in corporate finance or real estate investment, strong Excel skills, and leadership potential.

Qualifications

• A minimum of 8 years of business development, investment and/or corporate finance experience in real estate.
• Experience across residential, retail, office and hospitality assets; Dubai real estate is highly desirable.
• Strong strategic thinking, problem solving and decision-making skills.
• Excellent numerical and analytical abilities; advanced Excel knowledge.
• Effective communication, interpersonal skills and leadership potential.
• Knowledge of IAS/IFRS in budgeting and planning.

Responsibilities

• Formulate and refine DHAM's corporate strategy and development roadmap.
• Build and maintain feasibility and cash flow models for developments and acquisitions.
• Prepare investment memorandums and present to management for approvals.
• Coordinate with FP&A for budgets, five-year plans, and project estimates.
• Monitor asset performance, report variances, and drive value optimization.
• Conduct market research, benchmarking, and monitoring of industry trends.
• Engage stakeholders and support cross-functional initiatives.

Skills

Financial modelling

Investment analysis

Asset performance

CAPEX reporting

Strategic finance

Excel proficiency

Communication skills

Leadership potential

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in business/economics/finance/engineering

MBA preferred

CFA designation preferred

Tools

MS Excel

Job description

To play a key part in supporting the growth ambitions of Dubai Holding Asset Management through strategic planning and financial assessment of new developments and business opportunities across all relevant asset classes (residential, office, retail)

The role holder is responsible for creating and updating financial models for prospective and existing investments & acquisitions including appraisals, internal valuations, and conducting financial assessments for operating assets. The role holder is also responsible for contributing to drafting Development & Acquisition Investment Memorandum to obtain management approval and plays a key role in investment management and optimization activities.

Core Responsibilities

• Contribute to the formulation of DHAM's corporate strategy.
• Explore and evaluate new business ventures and development prospects for DHAM.

2. Financial & Feasibility Analysis

• Build comprehensive feasibility models for proposed developments
• Create project-level cash flow models to align with DHAM’s business plans.
• Support asset monetization activities, including valuations and business case assessments.
• Assess the feasibility of new real estate projects and develop a comprehensive financial model to assess new developments financial KPI’s.
• Conduct a high level financial feasibility for all new developments and present high level financial analysis to the investment committee.
• Support in preparing a detailed leveraged/unleveraged financial feasibility for shortlisted developments, and coordinate with other departments to develop a detailed market research, CAPEX estimates, OPEX & income stream for new developments.
• Support in developing high quality Investment Memorandums/Presentations to obtain approval from top management on shortlisted developments.
• Track and update new developments based on actual results and latest estimates and report any variances from budgeted and approved targets.
• Develop a Retrospective Performance Assessment for completed developments
• Oversee and coordinate external research efforts to support strategic initiatives.
• Perform market research and competitor benchmarking to inform project planning.
• Assess and monitor market demands, industry dynamics, and future trends in various sectors.

4. Stakeholder Engagement & Communication

• Develop business plan presentations for submission.
• Engage with internal and external stakeholders to ensure effective execution of DHAM’s development roadmap.

5. Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Assist in or lead cross-functional initiatives, programs, and special projects as assigned by senior leadership within the Strategy & Product Development division.
• Support FP&A in preparing budgets & five-year plans by providing the new projects estimates on timely manner in accordance with relevant accounting practices (IAS, IFRS).
• Provide proactive & timely financial support to CFO and Businesses Units’ heads.

Asset Performance Monitoring

• Review operating assets and business district performance from inception till exit and participate in workshops with business units to identify strategic initiatives to improve asset financial performance.
• Assess historical performance of operating assets and estimate future performance based on market situation.
• Identify asset performance issues from an overall value maximization perspective (e.g. revenue, costs, footfall, refurbishment needs, asset quality, etc.) and recommend initiative to improve financial returns of operating assets.
• Review each asset vacancy, rent roll, OPEX and benchmark it to other similar assets in the market.
• Prepare a detail report for each asset performance and consolidate the results to report business district performance.

Reporting & Analysis

• Prepare investment reviews & appraisals in a timely manner and as per the internal guidelines.
• Contribute to the development of comprehensive financial details with regards to project CAPEX, accounting and commercial aspects for management review.
• Update on monthly basis the performance of each investment and compare actual performance compared to budget.
• Prepare investment re-forecasts on quarterly basis, revise income, OPEX & CAPEX assumptions and report its effect on cash flow projections & funding scenarios.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Economics, Finance, Engineering, or a related field.
• MBA or Master’s degree in Economics / Finance preferred; CFA designation preferred

Experience:

• A minimum of 8 years of business development, investment and/or corporate finance experience ideally gained while working for a regional real estate developer or for a management/real estate consulting firm advising real estate developers. Experience across the following asset classes is a must: Residential, retail, office, and hospitality. Dubai real estate experience is highly desirable
• Exceptional strategic thinking, problem solving and decision-making skills
• Strong communication, interpersonal and analytical skills
• Positive, energetic attitude and a team player
• Potential leadership and people management
• Financial planning and modelling
• Investment & Asset Performance Analysis
• CAPEX Reporting
• Strategic Finance
• Excellent numerical and analytical skills.
• Advanced knowledge of MS-Excel functions.